Medical dictionary

What is osteopathy for fertility? Osteopathy for fertility is the practice of using osteopathy to improve a patient’s chances of conception. Osteopathic doctors consider the whole body and how it functions as one when looking to treat a particular symptom. This means considering the muscles, bones and nervous system as well as the individual body part showing symptoms. Osteop

What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis, meaning “porous bone”, is a condition in which the bones become weak and brittle, due to the body either losing too much bone or making too little. On a microscopic level, the structure of healthy bones resembles a honeycomb, with hollows and spaces. In bones affected by osteoporosis, these hollows and spaces are much w

What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a disease that tends to develop with age, in which bones become porous and brittle. The body is constantly breaking down bone and creating new bone, but if the body loses too much or doesn’t make enough, the natural hollows and spaces in the bones grow, reducing the strength of the bones and making them susceptible to breaks and fractures. Osteopor

What is osteoporosis of the spine? Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak and brittle. This results from the body either making too much or too little bone. When examining bones through a microscope, healthy bones have a healthy honeycomb-like structure, whereas bones affected by osteoporosis have larger spaces, weakening their structure. As a result, bones affected by osteo

What is osteosynthesis? Osteosynthesis is a type of reconstructive surgery aimed at stabilising and joining the ends of a broken bone after a fracture, an osteotomy, or a non-union from a previous fracture. Bone fragments are stabilised by using mechanical devices. This allows for a complete or partial healing of the muscles and joint function. Once the bone fragments are stable, the mechani

What is an osteotomy? An osteotomy is a surgical procedure, carried out using general anaesthesia, that repairs damaged joints by cutting and reshaping the bones.  An osteotomy can be performed on the following joints: Knee Hip Spine Jaw Chin Big toe Why is an osteotomy done? An osteotomy will fix problems experienced in different bones and joints. Knee

What is otitis? Otitis is also known as an ear infection and occurs when there is a bacterial or viral infection within the ear. Ear infections can be acute, lasting a short duration, or chronic with frequent occurrence. Otitis can affect the internal or external parts of the ear. Ear infections are common in children.  There are different types of otitis:Otitis externa – also

What is otology? Otology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the ear and its diseases. This discipline is part of otorhinolaryngology, the speciality concerned with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the ear, nose and throat. Unlike otorhinolaryngologists (also known as Ear, Nose and Throat [ENT] specialists), otologists do not treat diseases of the nose an

What otomycosis? Otomycosis is a fungal infection of the outer ear. There are many types of fungus that can cause an ear infection, the most common being Aspergillus and Candida. Due to the warmth and moisture that fungi require to grow, otomycosis is most commonly seen in hot and humid climates, particularly during the summer. It is also more common among people who play water sports o